Music & Long Term Focus

Musicians like other artists practice their skills many hours a day. They practice, repeat, refine, correct, analyze what went right and what went wrong refining their performance with razor like focus. An advanced musician will work for months on a single performance skipping the instant gratification for the big kahuna. Obviously, as a piece of music is learned there are many performance milestones that give the musician peace of mind and keeps them on the path to success.

The beauty of music is that most musicians start at a young age (5-8yrs old) so these musical skills are learned and developed while the musician matures. This process causes these skills to become an innate part of the musicians psyche.When problems arise in life or business that require strategic thinking, long term solutions or long hours of uninterrupted thought the musician says bring it on! I've been there many times before and know how to be successful.

In today's world where everything runs on Internet time and everyone wants gratification NOW, these learned and practiced skills of long term focus, analysis and concentration will be a highly valued by employers. For those doubting the benefits of music education, here's justification #3 highlighting another reason the study of music belongs in every child's life.

Woodland Creek Music teaches the art of Long Term Focus

Music & Problem Solving

Another personal and business skill the study of a musical instrument helps promote is problem solving. Playing music presents a constant flow of problems which the musician has to deal with and eventually solve in order to have an acceptable performance. These musical problems can be technical, physical, musical, mental or environmental. Good musicians learn to become excellent problem solvers.

I had a music theory professor in college who said " performing music is simple, it's just doing the right thing at the right time." This is an accurate statement and is why computers do a great job at playing musical notes precisely. However, if you listen to computer generated music or .mid files you hear a very mechanical uninspired rendition of a piece, not the expressive performance of a "real" musician.

The technical ability to play the notes, at the right time with the right attack, dynamics, expression and phrasing encompasses the spirit of musicianship. The ability of the performer to package this for his / her audience is at the heart of performance even if the audience is only the performer. The ability to package ideas and solutions to effectively present to others, to critically think and work through intricate problems to resolution are skills businesses are looking for in their employees. Many great historical problem solvers were also musicians....Einstein comes to mind.

The awareness of the performance environment and it's impact on shaping the performers presentation is also a critical aspect of music & problem solving. Is the performance a recital? a competition? what is the audience looking for? how will I be judged? what is the instrument like? is the performance theater conducive to my needs ? Again, these questions are also pertinent in the business world. Employees that think about these issues and look at "the big picture" are highly valued by employers.

Determining the main issue or heart of the problem and figuring out a solution is a basic element of musical performance and something every musician has to deal with over and over. It's a skill that's learned over time and becomes part of ones thought process. Many of my advanced students analyze a piece of music before attempting to play a single note, looking for the "problems" that will need to be solved.

When employers were asked about their most creative problem solving employees it was discovered most had a musical background.

Woodland Creek Music teaches students how to solve problems.

Music & Self-Discipline

There's an old saying: "it takes 10,000hrs of practice to become an expert in something." It doesn't matter if it's plumbing, surgery, teaching or playing a musical instrument.If you do the math using 5 days a week and 4 hrs of practice you're an expert in 10yrs. Reduce your practice to 2 hrs you're at 20 yrs, 1hr you're at 40yrs etc.

We all know this idea of expertise in 10,000hrs is a myth. However, the reality is that it does take time, devotion and energy to be GOOD at something.In today's world where everything runs on internet time and everyone wants self gratification immediately, I fear as an instructor, our students are losing the art of self-discipline.

We see this lack of self-discipline in society:

1. Health memberships that never get used
2. Obesity
3. Employees not showing up for work
4. Blaming others for problems
5. Not keeping personal commitments
6. Whatever?

Learning to play a musical instrument takes time, dedication and self-discipline. It's a slow, demanding arduous process full of challenges and gratification. It's a mental as well as physical process. A student of music understands and works through these personal challenges over time and understands what it takes intrinsically to develop his/her talent. There is no shortcut to learning an instrument.

There's a commercial playing during the Olympics where the athletes say, "I haven't ordered a dessert in over 2 years", "I haven't read the latest best selling novel", "I haven't seen the latest movie", because they've been working on their talent. They have self-discipline and understand the personal costs and gratification of their efforts.

Employers look for employees who,"work without supervision", "are self-motivated", "a self-starter". In the workforce self-discipline is a highly sought skill. Recognition and success often come to those individuals who exercise self-discipline well.

Developing self-discipline through the study of music can be started at anytime. Children and adults both benefit from the challenges music study presents. Studying music works the entire brain and has many benefits. It's better than puzzles, reading or sudoku. One study shows it helps dementia patients keep their memory longer.

Today's music curriculum's are fun and move the student along quickly. They are not the old school methods of scales and flash cards many of us remember. A beginner can get started with 15-20mins of practice per day. BUT to my dismay I'm told often, "I didn't have time to practice this week".  

Woodland Creek Music is in the business of building self-discipline. Just do it!

Music Lessons / Life Lessons (Overview)

Many of the skills needed to learn a musical instrument can also be applied to our personal and business lives. Discipline, problem-solving, long-term focus, patience, self-evaluation, teamwork & practice are all concepts that will serve us well through-out our careers.However, I don't see many students and parents equating these highly sought after skills with the study of a musical instrument.

Over the next (6) posts I will expand on "Musics Life lessons"

Woodland Creek Music has a few openings for private piano lessons starting in September. Start learning life lessons through music.